Chapter Text
Savano was dreaming as he came across an open lush field of beautiful green shades of green. Savano knew this was not normal for high elves as they tend to trance, train, and recall their past lives. He was disturbed for it is unusual for him to dream. The sun was beaming as he realized he was in the hands of someone holding him. He was being held as if he was a babe and a man with a sun crown on his head looking at him. He soon realizes that the man is Lathander.
“Lord Lathander! Oh, gracious Father Lathander what do I owe the honor of seeing you!?” Said Savano in surprise.
“My child Savano. You are now in the beginning of a perilous and exceedingly hard journey. You will need to do things you never thought about and gain any advantage you could possibly get. Go and seek out my blood.” Lathander says as he spins Savano around in his arms coddling him.
Savano wakes up with a start as he heard birds chirping and the sun beginning to rise. He heads out of his tent as he heads to the river and kneels down and prays.
“Morning lord thank you for rising me for the next day to the greeting of your dawn. May your radiance cover me and my loved ones throughout the day as we venture into the world. May you watch over and protect me as you shine away my sins, fears, and vices. May your eternal call of the dawn fill me. In Your Radiance.” Said Savano as he continued to kneel down and meditate on Lathander verses. He thought to himself what Lathander meant by seeking out his blood.
The sun rose as the others began to get and do their morning activities. Gale was sorting out food and moved a crate of meat to the back of the camp as Shadowheart left out some alchemy ingredients in the sun to get sunlight. Lae’zel was sharpening the weapons and fixing the straps of the handles as she rambled on everyone’s weapons being in poor condition. Wyll read a paper of the Baldur’s mouth as he balanced the money that the group had for future purchases. Astarion was sorting everyone’s clothing that needed mending as he walks over to Gale cooking up a quick breakfast of hash for everyone.
“Ya know we should have a couple of cows or chickens for.. feeding everyone.” Said Astarion.
“I think that would be a good idea… if we had the space and opportunity to acquire such animals.” Said Gale as he stirred the hash in a pan.
“I mean we could possibly ask Savano if he has any ideas. Any animals would be great to help with food supply.” Said Shadowheart.
“Bah who would even take care of the animals in the first place? Much less provide for them?” Lae’zel angrily chatted.
“Well chickens are easy to maintain and have. You just have to build a coup for them with some straw. You also have to have at least one rooster which is pretty hard to find. But cows? That’s a bit harder. But having at least two will get you enough milk and cheese to last for some time. And while I am not against chickens, cows are definitely not considered. They are huge and when transporting them it’ll take time. Something we do not have a lot of, if Lae’zel is correct. But… if were to permanently stay here… tilling the land wouldn’t be a problem for me. “ Said Savano as he approached the group.
“But Lae’zel brought up a good point. Who will take care of such animals?” Wyll brought up questioningly.
“About that. If all of us were to go everywhere not only would it leave the camp defenseless, but all of us is an army. People would feel threatened. So, we should only take four of us at a time. But the others staying back could actually watch over any animals we manage to get.” Savano sternly voiced.
“Very well. Choose who will go with you today Savano.” Lae’zel said.
“Hmmm Lae’zel and Shadowheart. Gale as well. Wyll and Astarion you’ll both stay back today ok?”
“A good choice picking me. Maybe your leadership will prove fruitful after all.” Said Lae’zel.
The four of them ventured to the crypt as they head back down to the beach that Savano had found Shadowheart. Lae’zel slashes the door open as they waltzed right in, and Gale coughed from the odor and dust in the air of the crypt.
“This place has long since been abandoned. And yet…” Said Savano
“I feel a strange presence of this place. As if the deity is still watching or something.” Said Shadowheart.
“It certainly has a musty air to it. I wonder does this tomb-?” Said Gale as he opened the tomb, and a spring was activated.
“Tchacki! You absolute moron!” Lae’zel screamed into the air.
“We have to get to the other side of the room and fast! Gale grab anything in that tomb!” Yelled Savano as they all rushed to the other side of the door.
The room filled with an acrid scent as a grease trap at the other end of the room began to spill out spurts of grease. Shadowheart trips over it as Savano scoops her up in his arms and runs out of the door as fire bolts come out of the devil looking traps. Savano lets Shadowheart on her feet as he closes the door and takes a deep breath. This was not his first time in a crypt nor his first time in a crypt with traps, but Gale may be new to this he thought to himself. The group recuperates as Shadowheart gazes up to Savano and smiles.
“You have very big arms Savano. Perhaps being carried is better than walking.”
“Well, you know Shadowheart I do love a good damsel in distress.”
“Bah, can you both focus?! Gale what did you find in that accursed tomb.” Said Lae’zel with a sneer across her face.
“I have acquired a spear of some sort. I can feel the reverberation of the weave quiver in this spear too. Oh, and also a key! Perhaps it will open the door over there yes? Here Savano.”
“Thanks Gale. Andddd bingo you were right it opens the door!” Said Savano with glee as he looks around and sees several skeletons on the floor.
The inner room of the tomb was in a disarray. The room smelled of old book leather and was dusty in all aspects. To the right side of the room was giant hole in the wall and to the left it seemed like a bigger room. The group wandered within the room as a bone crunches under Lae’zel’s boot and the skeletons suddenly had an awakening of life spring up in them. Lae’zel yelled a battle cry as she slices one of the bones off of the skeleton. Another skeleton casts a fog cloud around Savano and Gale as they both wonder through it. A skeleton with a sword charges at Savano as Shadowheart launches a guiding bolt towards it and burns it to a crisp. Gale casts magic missile aimed at the skeleton that casted the fog cloud as the skeletons disassembles from the barrage. Savano swings his mace and destroys the last skeleton nearby the door on the left of the tomb. The skeletons drops a key and Savano picks it up. He opens the door as the group recuperates in the room. Shadowheart and Gale open a few chests as a book captures Savano’s eye. It glows as he mutters a small prayer and opens the lock of the book as the others gather around him.
“Well, what does it say? Does it reveal any secrets?” Gale asked.
“They are names of gods on here… Morning Lord Lathander, Helm, Selûne, these are the names of the gods on here that were restored after the second sundering. There’s a plethora here Gale, but some of them are completely illegible like these last three. But here, maybe you’ll understand the text.” Said Savano as he handed the book to Gale.
“We should explore this tomb more… I feel like these skeletons were protecting something important.” Said Shadowheart as the group exited the room and continued to explore the tomb. The group descends downstairs as Savano notices the statue holding a list.
“Jergal the scribe of the dead? Does anyone even worship him Shadowheart?”
“Not that I know of. His worshippers pretty much dropped off the face of Faerûn.”
“Do you all see what I see? A button on the wall!” Exclaimed Gale.
“Gale I don’t see anything do you Lae’zel?” Savano asked.
“No, I do not. Gale must’ve used his magic to see it.” Lae’zel said.
Savano moved next to the button and pushed it. He exclaimed that someone would do all this to hide a single sarcophagus. Savano and Shadowheart looked at each other alarmed when they felt the divine energy in this place. Savano barely moved the top of the sarcophagus as the candles in the room lit green and a withered skeleton rose out of it. The skeleton floated towards the group and looked towards them as it descended from the air and stepped down right in front of Savano, who glimmered with a slight radiance.
“He hath spoken and now thou standst before me. Right as always. What a curious way to awaken. Now, I have a question for thee. What is the worth, of a single mortal’s life?”
Savano stepped back not in horror or terror but in awe. The presence and godly power that radiated from this skeleton flooded over the group. And Savano could feel the surface of the vast ocean of power that laid underneath. “What kind of undead are you?” He asks.
“Not like the others thou hast slain. I shall ask again; What is the worth of a single mortal’s life?”
Savano thought to himself for a moment. The clerical in him wanted to say that worshipping Lathander would be the only worth in life, but he knew to himself that was a lie. He thought a little more and then finally answered.
“No one life is more important than another. All in all, we die the same even if we do not live the same. When you’re dead, you’re dead.”
“And in death that is so. Even if some cannot die.” Withers said looking into Savano’s eyes.
“Very well. I am satisfied. I shall be at thy camp when thou hast finished for the day.”
Savano gestured to Gale as he teleported them to the nearest waypoint near the grove.
“Well, that was a trip surely right?” Said Savano straightening himself out as the group began to break into a short rest for the day. He sat down on the blanket that Gale opened up and threw down on the ground. Shadowheart began to unpack the basket that held the lunch of the adventures. Four apples, four wedges of cheese, a fish already roasted and cooked with a loaf of bread already pre sliced.
“I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine I got a love and I know that it’s all mine- ♪”
“For the last time Savano, STOP that incessant singing!” shouted Lae’zel.
“Lae’zel why are you so mean?”
“Chk. Because your kind are so incessant and whiny!”
“I feel like in time that opinion will change once you get used to Faerûn.” Savano finished speaking by grabbing two slices of bread and a bit of fish. He broke off a piece of his cheese wedge and put it on the sandwich as Gale went around filling their chalices of water for their lunch.
“Thanks Gale!”
“You are surely welcome my most esteemed friend!”
“Hey Savano, what are your opinions on the gods? Besides the one you worship obviously” Shadowheart bit into her apple and chewed her eyes lit from the juiciness overflowing in her mouth.
“Well which ones exactly? They’re so many that I kinda don’t care for some.”
“Well let’s do the most known ones then. Gond, Selûne, Shar, Tyr, Chauntea, Umberlee, Talos, Silvanus, Mystra and Kelemvor.” Gale perked over after he heard Mystra’s name and began to tune into the conversation
“Gond I have no real grudge against. Selûne is great in my opinion! She played a vital role… with my god after all. Shar is an anomaly in my eyes, and I do not like her. Tyr is great as well even if his worshippers are overzealous. It’s thanks to Chauntea that we are even eating so she’s great as well! Umberlee is overzealous but necessary I feel. Talos is chaos incarnate and I do not like that. Silvanus is like Chauntea so cool I suppose. Mystra is the goddess of magic and I feel without her, all of us gods and mortals alike will be doomed. Kelemvor and his worshippers get a bad rep and are feared but honestly I do not see it that way. He’s necessary and is not scary.”
“That was very insightful… thank you.”
“Can I ask you a question in turn Shadowheart?”
“Very well do as you may.”
“Are you a Shar worshipper?”
Shadowheart eyes opened in shock with the apple still poised in her mouth as Gale stopped munching on his sandwich with one cheek full of it. Lae’zel snickered as Savano who’s usual happy and blusterous attitude became stern. Lae’zel enjoyed this very much.
“I… have no idea what you are talking about.”
“DON’T… don’t lie to me. Your armor is that of Sharrans. At first I didn’t mind gear is gear when we needed to get off the nautiloid. But you put it on with care, with admiration. You are a shar worshipper.”
“Very well you have cracked the oh so important case of Shadowheart and her goddess! Congratubloodylations.”
“Make no mistake Shadowheart. I do not and will not ever like your goddess. Behind Selûne Lathander is Shar’s worst enemy. But I do like you Shadowheart and I do like adventuring with you. I will leave it at that.” Savano says as Shadowheart’s winces out in pain and a mark appears on her hand.
“Whwat waf fhat?” Gale said with a mouth full of fish.
“Swallow then speak Gale. But what was that Shadowheart?” Savano moved his upper body and peeked over at Shadowhearts hand.
“It just happens sometimes. Lady Shar gifts me this pain. I do not know the reason being, however. Is it guiding me? Or is it punishing me? Pain is sacred within the religions of Shar so for her to gift me this means she loves me dearly…” She trailed off thinking to herself wondering when and how exactly the mark started.
“Pain is wonderful it allows the person to know how the body is affected. Tell me Savano and you as well Gale. Do you both enjoy pain? Or inflicting it?” Lae’zel said after eating the last of her sandwich and dusting off her hands together.
“I do not enjoy the bodily condition of pain nor do enjoy inflicting it upon others as I know how it will feel if I was in pain too.” Gale began to drink from his chalice as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and began to clean up the rest of the blanket the group rested upon.
“I do not enjoy inflicting pain mostly because it is misery on others. I do not particularly enjoy pain either. But I have not really thought about it as a pass time Lae’zel. It’s probably important to githyanki isn’t it?” Savano finished as he stood up and dusted off the crumbs of his shirt.
“Yes it is. You would be educated on Gith customs later if you wish.” Lae’zel said with an attitude but deep down she wanted to talk about her people.
The group got up from the short rest and went towards where the goblins came from, in a town that was pillaged and in disarray. Lae’zel sniffed about and put an arm in front of Savano to prevent him from walking any further.
“I smell goblins here. And my instincts tell me it’s a trap we’re walking into. Be on your guard.”
“Right.”
The group walk into the village as Savano looks up and nods as he sees Lae’zel was correct. The goblins look down at the group as one goblin speaks out.
“Get ov’r there! Surround em like!”
“I see you goblin.” Said Savano. He felt something squirming in his head and in turn a mark glowed on the goblins face. Power rushed through his body and mind as he looked at the goblin. Authority.
“Yeah? And what ab’ou you seein me?”
“Stand down. Now.”
“Uhh stand down lads! This one is blessed wit the absolute!
Savano and the others entered into the village as they looked at each alarmed at what Savano just did.
“So, we can use the tadpole to influence others and their minds…” Said Gale.
“REFUSE IT! DENY IT! The more we use this tadpole the more it will consume and make us ghaik!”
“Before we do anything we need to know what exactly is happening to us to use these powers at the very least” Shadowheart chimed in.
“I think the best approach is Lae’zels. I felt the tadpole squirm and move about when I influenced that goblin.”
“A very wise approach from someone like you Savano.” Said Lae’zel.
“That said… I feel like to infiltrate the goblin camp we should pass ourselves off as followers of the absolute. Seems like a cult is brewing or has been from the looks of things.”
“Smart move.” Said Shadowheart.
The group persisted until they got to a goblin checkpoint just beyond the bridge. Savano convinced the guards to let them pass through with deception about the absolute. The group was heading straight into the goblin camp until a rush of mind crippling came about them. The group dropped down to their knees as they heard a woman’s voice ring out to them. In their minds they saw three figures before them, two men and one woman whose eyes were pale as sheep’s wool. The voice rang in their mind again.
“These… are my chosen. Aid their search for the artifact and join them amongst their ranks…”
Shadowheart stood up with a prism in hand as the prism let out a shockwave that tore through the darkness, and the groups minds were their own again. Savano looked at Shadowheart puzzled somewhat but Lae’zel was all but ready to kill Shadowheart.
“That prism you carry… how and why did you get it Shadowheart?” Savano questioned before he was pushed aside by Lae’zel.
“That artifact you carry is of my people and you stole it is’tik. Answer me now how an elf like you has it?”
“Well… you all already know I worship Lady Shar. Me and some fellow shar worshippers were tasked with retrieving the artifact. I do not know anything else. Our memories were wiped in order to protect Lady Shar’s secrets.”
“Well in any event, it saved us, so I guess hang onto it for now. But for the love of Lathander please no more secrets from us Shadowheart or at least me?” Savano said.
“Gladly.”
“Alright let’s go checkout the goblin camp. After that we’ll head back to camp. I just want to get a good luck at it and see if a waypoint is in there.”
The group walked across the broken bridge and saw the chaos that was in the goblin camp. Savano looked disgusted as he smelled pure feces and urine all over the camp. He spotted a waypoint far in the back and inscribed the specific runes to Gale as he swiftly turned right around and left.
“I’m so disgusted yall, dat sh*t stanked so bad weren’t nothing we could do about the putrid smell either” Said Savano in an accent that Shadowheart and Gale looked at each other about and began to laugh as they made their way back to camp.
The group enter into the camp just as the sun started to set and Shadowheart was still chuckling about what Savano said as Gale started to cook dinner for the rest of the camp. Savano was going over everything to Wyll and Astarion.
“So that’s basically what happened for the entire duration of the day.” Said Savano as he scooted a little closer to Wyll in the circle around the campfire.
“So, the tadpole can be used to persuade others to do what we wish? I wonder what others powers we could use it for…” Said Astarion with him smiling
“I agree with Savano and Lae’zel. We should not use the tadpole, but do as you so wish Astarion.” Said Wyll.
“That aside, we can’t waltz into the goblin camp just yet. They have a lot of forces, and they’ll tear right through us. So instead, we’re gonna have to train for a bit. Tomorrow we’ll hunt down the devil that Wyll needs to kill along with explore that road behind the goblin camp. But I’m going to call it a night. I don’t feel so well.” Said Savano as he headed back to his tent. The others talked and chatted for a bit after dinner and headed to bed as well.
Savano tossed and turned in his tent as in his mind a dream visitor came to visit. It was a woman with beautiful chestnut hair flowing to the middle of her back with braids around the crown of her head. She had soft violet eyes as the eye shadow around them was a glistening blue. She kneeled down and put a hand to Savano.
“You are turning… but I will prevent that from happening.”Savano opened his eyes, and many emotions overtook him. Sadness, elatedness, but one remained as he got up on his own. Anger.
“You look just like Ma’am Sollux… but I know better.”
“I have helped you before the nautiloid crash and I have helped you again. You have great potential within you and of the tadpole. Do not be scared to pursue it. I must go… do not worry. I will return soon.” Said the dream visitor as it protected Savano from a blast.
Savano fell into his trance for the night as he pondered subconsciously; Who did protect him from the nautiloid crash?
